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METAL/NONMETAL MINE FATALITY - On January 13, 1999, a 60-year-old  truck driver (contractor operator)  with 33 years experience was fatally injured at a sand and gravel mine. The victim had parked his truck near the scale house to clean out the trailers. He entered the rear trailer through the open bottom-dump doors and began to remove asphalt residue. The pneumatic valve which controlled these doors was defective, allowing air pressure to randomly activate the valve. The doors closed and crushed him.

Best Practices

  • Defects on mobile equipment should be corrected prior to the equipment being used.

  • Maintenance should not be performed unless machinery components are blocked against hazardous motion.

  • Mine operators should take measures to assure that contractors follow basic safe work practices.
  • This is the second fatality reported in calendar year 1999 in the metal and nonmetal mining industries. As of this date in 1998, there were no fatalities reported in these industries. This is the second fatality classified as Powered Haulage in 1999. There were no Powered Haulage fatalities in the same period in 1998.

    For more information:
    Fatal Alert Bulletin Icon MSHA's Fatal Accident Investigation Report